Filter unit



J. B. SEBOK FILTER UNIT Jan. 15, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 20,1948 JHZ EHZ UP nfosqvh B. Seboii a; W My;

Jan. 15', 1952 Filed March 20, @948 J. B. SEBOK 2,582,915

FILTER UNIT 2 SHEETSSl -1EET 2 Z0 Z8 Z7 afos'e aiz 5. SEbQk PatentedJan. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES hAT-JENT OFFICE FILTER UNIT Joseph B."SebokpDetroit, lvilichl, assignor to flo'udaille-Hershey Corporation.Detroit; Mich., a corporation of Michigan Aiiplicatiiiii ivlatch 120,1948, Serial N0.16,078

This invention relates to 'lmproyementspin a filter unit, and toaresili'entfilter element or batt from which filter elements or other,devicesmay be cut, such for example as seat cushions, pack-- ing; anddevices for miscellaneous automotive uses,ralthough the invention will.have still' other pugposes as will be-app'arentto one skilled in, the arMore particularly, the invention relates to a self-sustaining resilientbatt of -material.;which may-be in the form of afilter elementforautomotive air cleaners, a filter element forairconditioningequipment, a seatv cushion, or of a general shape from whichvarious;-devices may be cut. One of the prime objects-of thisinventionis to produce such an'item. far moreeconomically than has heretoforebeen possible.

Another object of. the invention-is the provision of a'filter unit orresilient'batt made. up of numerous short fibers bonded together atrandom, and preferably a filter element; or resilient batt in which themain material-is short animal hair, the use of which in this particularheld of endeavor has been practicallynon-existent I-leretofore, cattletail hair has been used as filter elements for automotive air cleaners,and also in the manufacture of seat cushions,, but that hair comes. inlong lengths and most fre- *quentlyrequires curling as wel1-as otherexpensive operations to adapt it for its particular purpose or use. Infilter *eleme'ntsior automotive air cleaners, the cattle tail hair wasnotzbonded together but curled and steamedintoa desired shape and suchelement was prone to mator compact in various locations aiterrelativelyshort usage, and it was extremely diflicult to acquire adesired uniform density.

A product embodying the instantinvention may easily and economically be:formed fromshort animal hair such as rabbit fur, horse hair, -hair fromthe body of a cow 'or similar animal, but preferably hog hair, a.product'h'av-ingian extremely limited use prior to the advent :of thisinvention. When used in adevice embodying principles of thisinvention,it makes no difference Whether summer or "winter hair is used, :theaverage variation in length being-approximately three-eights .ofaninch,-.and that wariation not affecting the use of the relatively shorthog h'air in 'any manner.

Another "object of this invention; therefore, is the pr ovision of afilter-element; or resilient batt, or similar device, that is notonly-resilient but self-sustaining, and which is madefromhog hair bondedtogether by a suitable medium at random.

Another object "of -;this "inventionfiis the .provision of a filterelementor batt that is extremely and of such character th'atit retainsits resiliency 1 Claim. (Cl. 183-15) and uniform density after extremelylQng. usage. Stilla further object of this invention is, the

provision of a filterunit, highly desirable for use inautomotive aircleaners in which unitfthe filter element-is, self bonded in and to theholding shell.

A iurtherfeature of this invention is the provision of a filter unit foruse inautomotiveair cleaners in which .the filter element itself holdsthe lower .protectivescreen in the'holding shell oi the unitwithoutanyiurther aid.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of afilterunit for automotive air cleaners and the like in which the filterelement is self-bonded to the holding shell .andto a central outletconduitin thatshell, thus checking the tendency of cleansingliquidto-climb the central outlet conduit during operationof thecleaner.

Stilla further object of the invention. resides in the provision of afilter unit comprising an element and a holding shell, the element beingmade'up of short animalhair bonded together at randombya suitable.plastic v.medium which also bonds the filter elementto the holdingshell.

-While some of the more salientfeatures, characteristics: and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, .others willbecome apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 i a part elevation.part vertical sectional view of-an automotive air cleaner.incorporating a filter --unit embodying principles of the instantinvention;

Figure 2 is a central -vertical sectional view through the filter unititself;

Figure 3 is -a bottomplan :view .01 thelstrueture of Fig. :2, -withparts brokenaway;

Fig. '4 is a fragmentary greatly magnified View of the central portion:of the structure of Fig. -2 to illustrate the bonding is the filter element to the holding shell outlet conduit, if outlet conduit is used; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary.projection view of aresilientbattembodyingprinciples of the instant invention.

As/shown on the drawings:

For purposes of clarity, and to illustrate one example 'of' a-practical'use of the instant invention, the invention is embodied: in the "showadowndraft carburetor.

' in separablesections to facilitateservicing of the cleaner. In "theillustrated instancethere is a 'lower;section, vvhich embodies noprinciples 'of "the "instantinventlon; and'an upper section whichembodies the filter unit that is an important part of this invention.

The lower cleaner section includes an outer wall I and an inner wall 2spaced therefrom to define a sound attenuating chamber 3 between thesewalls. The inner wall 2 has a substantially vertical upper portion, thatis stepped inwardly as indicated at 4, to merge into a deeper portion 5defining a liquid sump 6 to contain a predetermined quantity ofcleansing liquid to aid in cleaning the air. Secured to the bottom ofthe outer wall I is a clamp ring 1 for tight engagement with thecarburetor. air intake horn. Extending inside the clamp ring 1 isanother conduit portion 8 having an opening 9 therein to establishcommunication with the attenuating chamber 3. Also secured to the innertermination of the wall 2 is an outlet conduit section it for the exitof cleaned air from the cleaner into the carburetorQ The outlet conduitIB is concentric with the aforesaid conduit 8 but of small diameter soas to provide a passage there between for sound waves.

The upper section includes a cover II and the filter unit embodyingprinciples of this invention. The two casing sections are held togetherby a bolt l2 anchored to the lower section and extending through thecover of the upper section, to accommodate a wing'nut 13.

With reference now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that the filterunit includes a shell having a substantially vertical imperforate wallIt, the upper portion of which is outwardly flared as at is forinterlocking engagement with the cover as indicated at IS in Fig. l. Theshell also includes a bottom I! integral with the wall M, which bottomis provided with a plurality of relatively large apertures l8 defined byradially extending ribs N3, of which there are twelve in the illustratedembodiment of the invention. In the illustrated instance, since thefilter unit is to be embodied in a hat type air cleaner, an outletconduit is provided centrally of the unit, and the lower margin of thisconduit portion may be rolled over a part of the bottom of the shell asindicated at 2|. In the illustrated instance a baffle 22 is included,the upper marginal portion of which is also secured inside the roll 2|on the outlet conduit. This baffle 22, as best seen in Fig. 1, isprovided openings in the inner portion of the baflle. Obviously, if thebaffle is not desired for a particular air cleaner it may be omitted.Also attached to the bottom of the shell is a plurality of dependingstabilizing feet 24.

Inside the filter holding shell. a protective screen 25 is disposed overthe openings 18 in the bottom of the shell. Over this screen is a filtermass 25 that preferably completely fills the shell and on top of thefilter mass 26 another protective screen 21 may be disposed, the innermarginal portion of this screen being locked under a flare 28 on theoutlet conduit, and the outer edge of the screen engaging the cover H,as seen in Fig. 1.

From the showing in Fig. 1 it will be seen that the shell is of lessdiameter thanthe wall 2 of the lower section of the cleaner so that between the shell wall l4 and the wall 2 there is an annular inlet passage29 leading downwardly toward the liquid sump 6. Incoming air descendsthis passage, passes over the upper face of the bafile 22, cominglingwith sump liquid at with turned down portions 23 to provide spaced thefilter mass 26, and clean substantially dry air exits from the cleanerinto the carburetor through the outlet conduits 20 and Ill.

The filter element 26 itself is preferably made of short animal hair,and that animal hair is preferably hog hair. In the making of thisfilter, the hog hair is deposited directly in the filter holding shellon top of the protective screen 25, as the shell rotates until the massof hair is built up somewhat higher than is shown in the drawings. Thehair is disposed in the shell with each individual hair or fiberseparated and at random. Then ,the shell including the deposited hair orfibrous material is dipped into a suitable plastic solution which ispermitted to set, thus bonding the hair intoa substantially homogeneousmass of uniform density. For bonding purposes, an oil resistant rubbersubstitute bonding agent, such as neoprene latex, may be used, and asolution of 25% solids and water is satisfactory for this purpose. Theneoprene latex may be cured or set by heat treatment at 250 F. for 2 to5 minutes. Of course, once set, the bonding agent is not soluble inwater, and is of substantially a permanent character. A vinyl solutionmay also be utilized for this purpose and one satisfactory example ofsuch a solution includes 15% vinyl polymer or copolymer, 15% methylethyl ketone, and 70% commercial toluol. That solution is then made intoan even mix with a half portion of the solution and a half portion oftoluene, into which the filter unit may be dipped. A method of makingthe filter unit is more fully set forth, described, and claimed in aJoseph B. Sebok and Frank Sebok copending application entitled Machinefor and Method of Making Resilient Filter Elements and Batts, filed May'7, 1948, Serial No. 25,726.

The plastic bonding agent not only bonds the individual hairs or fiberstogether in the filter mass but also in effect self-bonds the filtermass to the inside of the shell, including the outlet conduit 20, and tothe protective screen 25. That is an important feature of thisinvention, because heretofore it has been deemed necessary to spot weldor equivalently secure the screen 25 to each of the ribs I9 in thebottom of the shell. Such operation is completely eliminated by virtueof the bonding of the filter element to the shell, and it will be notedthat no extra medium is necessary for this bonding purpose, the plasticbonding element forming a part of the element also accomplishing thispurpose. Of course, when the element is raised out of the dipping bath,it will be slightly compressed to substantially the relative size shownin the drawings in comparison with the holding shell.

In Fig. 4 I have endeavored to indicate diagrammatically how the bondingof the filter element to the shell is effected. The individual hairs orfibers 30 are substantially covered by the bonding agent 3|, and it willbe seen that this bonding agent also adheres to the outlet conduit 20.and of course in the same manner to the wall 14 and screen 25.

The bonding agents specifically mentioned above, and the proportionsgiven, were given by way of example and not by way of limitation, and itshould be understood that herein and in the appended claims where theterm plastic is used, suchis to be construed as including substantiallyany satisfactory bonding agent.

, Actual tests have proven that an animal hair, and especially a hoghair filter element is at the same time, thenpasses upwardly through"least as efficient and in most cases more efiicient than substantiallyany other form of commercially practicable filter element heretoforeused. Hog hair may be used in its natural. state, Without the necessityof any curling or crimping, and regardless of its relatively shortlength. The entire filter element is thus extremely economical.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a batt 32 composed of the same material asthe filter element 26. This is to indicate that such a batt may beformed of animal hair and a suitable bonding medium. The resultant battwill be of substantially uniform density, resilient in character, andmaintain those properties throughout a long life. Obviously, the battmay be shaped as may be desired, or desired shapes of articles may besevered from it.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a novel filterelement or resilient batt made from material that heretofore has had anextremely limited use, and material of a character not heretofore usedfor the manufacture of resilient batts, filter elements, and similararticles. When the instant invention is used in the form of a filterelement, and incorporated in a filter unit, extreme economy ofproduction is provided, and the element is of uniform density,resilient, and possesses great durability.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through a wide range Without departing from the principlesof this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of theappended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a filter unit for automotive type air cleaners including a metallicshell having concentric inner and outer side Wall portions and anintegral bottom portion extending therebetween, radially disposed ribsformed in said bottom portion de- 5 fining relatively large openingstherebetween, a

screen of relatively small mesh initially loosely disposed on saidradial ribs and being substantially coextensive with said bottomportion, and

a filter element disposed in said shell on said is screen, said filterelement comprising a mass of hog hair in its natural length and shape,the

filaments of said mass being bonded to each other, to said shell and tosaid screen by a set plastic bonding agent, the density of said filterl5 mass being thereby maintained uniform throughout the confines of saidfilter unit.

JOSEPH B. SEBOK.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 25 1,483,379Reed Feb. 12, 1924 1,515,949 Hagan Nov. 18, 1924 1,751,915 Hall et a1.Mar. 25, 1930 1,841,347 Tuttle Jan. 12, 1932 2,061,570 Frolich et a1Nov. 24, 1936 30 2,062,090 Gaarder et a1 Nov. '24, 1936 2,083,132Williams et al June 8, 1937 2,251,789 Hallerberg Aug. 5, 1941 FOREIGNPATENTS 35 Number Country Date 766,983 France Apr. 23, 1934 771,513France July 30, 193

